PNSO: New for 2022

[CARN0TAURUS]

Unfortunately it was overcast last week and it didn't get sunny until after I'd returned toothless back to Amazon drop off store.

This new one has much lighter colors and seems like it has a tan or grey wash that fades everything out.  The colors on the other one were crisp and sharp, it's too bad the teeth were broken and that I don't have side by side images to show the difference.  Also the lower teeth are badly painted on this one and the orange on the crest is so faded it's almost not even there.  The orange on toothless was vibrant and really popped.  I wanted to take these photos like if this was a life sized restoration in a museum and I was snapping photos of the reconstruction.

[Shane]

To add to what I wrote yesterday: since the Museum Line is more expensive, I do of course expect more value for money from this line. A base or something extra (like a baby that came with the Stegosaurus, or the skull that came with the Triceratops) is a nice addition. I do agree however that this (combined with a bunch of posters) doesn't necessarily justify the big price difference that we see now. The extra research and sculpting work that should be invested by PNSO in a Museum Line figure however does justify a small price difference in my eyes.

Personally, I didn't think the less expensive PNSO price points were ever going to last. I could never tell how they were recouping costs with so much fancy packaging, full color booklets, etc. in addition to the figures themselves.

I never thought that price point was sustainable. I'm not surprised it's gone up, especially given how materials and other production costs have gone up across the board.

[CARN0TAURUS]

To add to what I wrote yesterday: since the Museum Line is more expensive, I do of course expect more value for money from this line. A base or something extra (like a baby that came with the Stegosaurus, or the skull that came with the Triceratops) is a nice addition. I do agree however that this (combined with a bunch of posters) doesn't necessarily justify the big price difference that we see now. The extra research and sculpting work that should be invested by PNSO in a Museum Line figure however does justify a small price difference in my eyes.

Personally, I didn't think the less expensive PNSO price points were ever going to last. I could never tell how they were recouping costs with so much fancy packaging, full color booklets, etc. in addition to the figures themselves.

I never thought that price point was sustainable. I'm not surprised it's gone up, especially given how materials and other production costs have gone up across the board.

I can't speak for anyone else here but I've been thinking about this a lot recently.  I was so conditioned to buying dinosaur figures in the $8-20 dollar range up until just 4-5 years ago and I don't think my mind has caught up to the reality of the situation.  It's a rude awakening but I'm coming around to the idea that wages going up in China, increasing costs of materials, and increases in shipping fees it was bound to happen.  In a couple years I'll probably complain about how PNSO isn't offering more figures in the $40 range anymore.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I always figured the prices were reflective of where they were made and the access they had to labor and materials on their own terms not an outside business trying to get products made there.  It's also a great marketing strategy, start off cheap get the collectors hooked, then slowly raise the prices.  It sounds scummy but a LOT of businesses do it.

[Shane]

I always figured the prices were reflective of where they were made and the access they had to labor and materials on their own terms not an outside business trying to get products made there.  It's also a great marketing strategy, start off cheap get the collectors hooked, then slowly raise the prices.  It sounds scummy but a LOT of businesses do it.

They still, theoretically at least, need to account for whatever margins would be needed to pay people, ship products, store them in warehouses, keep the lights on, etc.

I do think that them being a company operating out of China eased some of the burden, and maybe even they got some assistance or favorable conditions from the Chinese gov't (though that's just speculation on my part, but the fact that they have worked so closely with national museums and have such a strong educational focus makes me think it might be something the gov't would support or subsidize to help promote a Chinese company with strong educational value).

Either way, a lot of their prices earlier on were very low, considering what you were getting in terms of detail and extras (again, a sturdy full color box with foam inserts, full color multi-page booklet, etc) just seemed to me to be wild that you could get some of their lower end figures for like $22.99 with Amazon Prime shipping.

I definitely think there was an element of having a lower introductory cost in the beginning as people become more aware of the brand, and eating whatever losses that might incur, to hopefully build an audience that is willing to pay more when costs need to increase.

It's all just speculation, but the bottom line is I think it was always unrealistic to expect those initial price points to last very long, all things considered. I think it has a way of spoiling buyers who come to expect that level of a product at that price, and as I said it just never seemed very sustainable.

[DragonRider02]

PNSO has completely outpriced themselves for me, unfortunately. Tsintaosaurus currently costs almost 80$ on Aliexpress! And that figure is tiny, it's smaller than Lambeosaurus, which costed me only around 12$ (by today's exchange rate. And the same figure would cost me around 30$ if I bought it today from the same seller...) back when it was first realesed. This is absolutely ridiculous price for something that small. The base and some posters don't justify the price for me in the sligtest. I feel bad for saying that, but it almost feels like PNSO is throwing these things in to artificially inflate the price and charge more for the "Museum Line".
Their "standard" figures aren't much better at all with their prices. Even if these figures are objectively better crafted than average Safari or CollectA product, they still are just... not worth it. I don't feel like the product  I get reflects those premium prices. And the fact that paint quality is degrading so fast that even if I saved for few months to get just one figure, it could end up looking like a bootleg is just an icing on this overpriced cake.

The fact that there already was inflation going on in my country for past few months (now accelerated further becouse of everything going on in the world) doesn't help. Literally every time I check my Aliexpress wishlist, prices are always higher than last time. And most prices went noticably up last week, including PNSO products that now cost 6$ more than when I originally saved them on my list...

I really feel bad for feeling this way towards PNSO since they make such beautiful products.
Collecting figures is one of very few things that still make me feel happy but with these constant price rises (not just from PNSO, it's occuring with eveything right now) I am seriously starting to wonder if this hobby is still worth it. 

[Shane]

I feel bad for saying that, but it almost feels like PNSO is throwing these things in to artificially inflate the price and charge more for the "Museum Line".

Not that it feels any better on your wallet, but I really think a more accurate perspective is "these figures WERE artificially UNDERpriced" as opposed to "these figures ARE artificially OVERpriced."

The bases and additional printed material may seem like a bunch of extra stuff to drive up the price, but it's more likely included to try to toss in a few incentives as the prices raise to what they probably should have been in the first place.

[ceratopsian]

This sounds very plausible to me indeed.

Not that it feels any better on your wallet, but I really think a more accurate perspective is "these figures WERE artificially UNDERpriced" as opposed to "these figures ARE artificially OVERpriced."

The bases and additional printed material may seem like a bunch of extra stuff to drive up the price, but it's more likely included to try to toss in a few incentives as the prices raise to what they probably should have been in the first place.

[Shonisaurus]

Excuse me since I have missed a lot of the DTF activity (I am preparing oppositions) but I have already made the purchase of the tsintaosaurus on Aliexpress, it is already in the PNSO online store, I pass the link.

https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005003998089965.html?aff_fcid=d67b4b1b735542d9be0c917ce6a767ea-1646765530458-02662-_Ab8elR&tt=CPS_NORMAL&aff_fsk=_Ab8elR&aff_platform=shareComponent-detail&sk=_Ab8elR&aff_trace_key=d67b4b1b735542d9be0c917ce6a767ea-1646765530458-02662-_Ab8elR&terminal_id=ed09cbdb138041cd915e0450f1efe1b0&afSmartRedirect=y

The price, yes, is extremely high, I think that PNSO inflates prices but in my case it is the only purchase I have made from PNSO in more than a year and a half.

[CARN0TAURUS]

I feel bad for saying that, but it almost feels like PNSO is throwing these things in to artificially inflate the price and charge more for the "Museum Line".

Not that it feels any better on your wallet, but I really think a more accurate perspective is "these figures WERE artificially UNDERpriced" as opposed to "these figures ARE artificially OVERpriced."

S @Shane

I'm glad you are sharing your opinion on this.  As someone who deals with the business side of all this I find your perspective really interesting.  Personally, I like to think of PNSO the same way I think about Eofauna.  I appreciate both tremendously for the accuracy and realism that both companies strive for.  When Eofauna released the Steppe Mammoth in 2017 I was a bit shocked by the $33 price tag but I bought it anyways because I appreciated the artistry, realism, and the beauty of it.  I'm certain it was the most expensive figure I'd ever purchased up until that point.  But unlike with PNSO, I can afford to collect everything Eofauna makes because they only release about 1.6 figures a year.  With PNSO my approach has to be different and I choose only those figures I really really want because they release so many and they are more expensive.  I always said that I'd take quality over quantity and I'm not going to go back on that now.  I just can't get mad at PNSO because I can't afford to collect all their figures.  Or because some of them are priced outside of what I'm willing to spend.  I don't like how they handle their museum line so I've chosen to stick with collecting only what I really like from the prehistoric line.

[CARN0TAURUS]

I feel bad for saying that, but it almost feels like PNSO is throwing these things in to artificially inflate the price and charge more for the "Museum Line".

Not that it feels any better on your wallet, but I really think a more accurate perspective is "these figures WERE artificially UNDERpriced" as opposed to "these figures ARE artificially OVERpriced."

The bases and additional printed material may seem like a bunch of extra stuff to drive up the price, but it's more likely included to try to toss in a few incentives as the prices raise to what they probably should have been in the first place.

S @Shane

Shane, first off I want to apologize for quoting your post twice but you added some additional information that wasn't there the first time I quoted you

I agree with everything you're saying but I can't help but notice that at least here in these forums I can't help but think that the added items in the museum line have kind of backfired on PNSO.  I haven't exactly taken a poll here to get an accurate assessment but just from casually reading what folks are saying?  It kind of feels like to me that a lot of folks think those items are unnecessary and are just included to help justify the higher price.  I don't buy museum line because that's how I personally interpret those things myself.  Perhaps folks outside these forums see it differently tho.

[Shane]

Shane, first off I want to apologize for quoting your post twice but you added some additional information that wasn't there the first time I quoted you

I agree with everything you're saying but I can't help but notice that at least here in these forums I can't help but think that the added items in the museum line have kind of backfired on PNSO.  I haven't exactly taken a poll here to get an accurate assessment but just from casually reading what folks are saying?  It kind of feels like to me that a lot of folks think those items are unnecessary and are just included to help justify the higher price.  I don't buy museum line because that's how I personally interpret those things myself.  Perhaps folks outside these forums see it differently tho.

You're not exactly far off, but I would say it's not quite to "justify" the high price point as it is to sort of make it go down a bit easier. They're tossing in a few extras to make it a better value. But like I said, those extras likely aren't what is increasing the costs, it's just that those lower costs were not very sustainable to begin with.

[CARN0TAURUS]

Shane, first off I want to apologize for quoting your post twice but you added some additional information that wasn't there the first time I quoted you

I agree with everything you're saying but I can't help but notice that at least here in these forums I can't help but think that the added items in the museum line have kind of backfired on PNSO.  I haven't exactly taken a poll here to get an accurate assessment but just from casually reading what folks are saying?  It kind of feels like to me that a lot of folks think those items are unnecessary and are just included to help justify the higher price.  I don't buy museum line because that's how I personally interpret those things myself.  Perhaps folks outside these forums see it differently tho.

You're not exactly far off, but I would say it's not quite to "justify" the high price point as it is to sort of make it go down a bit easier. They're tossing in a few extras to make it a better value. But like I said, those extras likely aren't what is increasing the costs, it's just that those lower costs were not very sustainable to begin with.

S @Shane

Is it the airbrushed paintwork, the materials they use, the CAD mold creation, is it something special PNSO does or perhaps external issues outside their control driving up these costs?    I have a theory that the prices are at least in part driven up by all these new molds they seem to cut year round.  It almost seems like they're producing more new figures than everyone else combined.  Is it possible that they have a large group of researchers and artists involved in making the figures?  I don't know that to be true but it sure seems like it.  Otherwise those guys must be working themselves to the bone at the rate they're turning out figures.

[Shane]

Is it the airbrushed paintwork, the materials they use, the CAD mold creation, is it something special PNSO does or perhaps external issues outside their control driving up these costs?    I have a theory that the prices are at least in part driven up by all these new molds they seem to cut year round.  It almost seems like they're producing more new figures than everyone else combined.  Is it possible that they have a large group of researchers and artists involved in making the figures?  I don't know that to be true but it sure seems like it.  Otherwise those guys must be working themselves to the bone at the rate they're turning out figures.

I can't speak to what PNSO does specifically because I don't know their process, but generally the more precision and detail that goes into the figure requires more expensive molds, more costly paint apps, etc. Even though PNSO gets some flack for favoring muddy browns, there are still a lot of separate applications and they're all applied very precisely, which adds to costs.

They've also always had very sturdy packaging with full color graphics and full color booklets. Looking at figures like Lambeosaurus or Pachyrhinosaurus, I can't see how they applied a $22.99 price point to those and made any money. In my opinion their base price point always should have been higher.

Additionally, I imagine they have smaller production runs relatively, this can also increase costs per piece, and means they have to have a higher per figure price point to recoup costs. That, and the large amount of figures they release in a short amount of time also requires a significant upfront investment.

Also, across the board, raw material costs have risen recently, higher than expected. That cost either gets absorbed or passed along, and PNSO may not have had the buffer in place to absorb it.

[KrazyKaprosuchus]

Is it the airbrushed paintwork, the materials they use, the CAD mold creation, is it something special PNSO does or perhaps external issues outside their control driving up these costs?    I have a theory that the prices are at least in part driven up by all these new molds they seem to cut year round.  It almost seems like they're producing more new figures than everyone else combined.  Is it possible that they have a large group of researchers and artists involved in making the figures?  I don't know that to be true but it sure seems like it.  Otherwise those guys must be working themselves to the bone at the rate they're turning out figures.

I can't speak to what PNSO does specifically because I don't know their process, but generally the more precision and detail that goes into the figure requires more expensive molds, more costly paint apps, etc. Even though PNSO gets some flack for favoring muddy browns, there are still a lot of separate applications and they're all applied very precisely, which adds to costs.

They've also always had very sturdy packaging with full color graphics and full color booklets. Looking at figures like Lambeosaurus or Pachyrhinosaurus, I can't see how they applied a $22.99 price point to those and made any money. In my opinion their base price point always should have been higher.

Additionally, I imagine they have smaller production runs relatively, this can also increase costs per piece, and means they have to have a higher per figure price point to recoup costs. That, and the large amount of figures they release in a short amount of time also requires a significant upfront investment.

Also, across the board, raw material costs have risen recently, higher than expected. That cost either gets absorbed or passed along, and PNSO may not have had the buffer in place to absorb it.

Thank you for bringing attention to this and to similar things for other companies, Shane. This perspective is really important to keep in mind when taking costs into consideration, even on other companies like Safari and the like.

[Flaffy]

I'm not sure I follow the logic that full colour graphics, booklets and posters being unsustainable at lower selling prices; yet at the same time do not contribute to the massive price hikes seen in recent figures, particularly the museum line.

Even IF the copious amounts of full colour posters & booklets aren't a significant factor in increasing costs, a couple bucks saved is a couple bucks saved. Surely eliminating such superfluous add-ons would lower production costs even by a smidge (not to mention the material waste). Take the Tsintaosaurus for example, all of the below could've been very easily eliminated or replaced with cheaper alternatives:
- oversized, hard carboard box with foam inserts
- heaps of full colour posters and booklets that only a minority of collectors will find use in
- dull uninspired base that does nothing to enhance the presentation of the figure

And then there's shipping. With how expensive international shipping is nowadays, having a smaller, lighter box would certainly help lower import costs as well.

The initial low costs weren't sustainable long term, that I understand. But I wish PNSO would just be upfront about rising material, labour and paint costs rather than adding unnecessary fluff to "justify" their prices.

[Shane]

What I'm saying is the figures have always had full color booklets and fancy packaging, even at the earlier lower price points.

These alone are not things that will massively contribute to the price, but they aren't nothing, and they've been present from the get go. Additionally, a poster or insert isn't going to cost as much as a multi-page, full color booklet.

Adding more inserts and maybe a generic base certainly have a cost to them, but it's not a huge amount in the grand scheme, and is likely just to give more perceived value.

I think people got spoiled by the initial prices that were just not something that could be supported long term. If they removed these newer additional fluff pieces, the price likely wouldn't come down by much and they'd still have complaints about their figures costing too much.

Bottom line, the figures themselves, based on their size and level of detail, are just going to be expensive figures. It's not super realistic to expect that level of detail to be super affordable, even if it was for a brief period.

[Bokisaurus]

Is it the airbrushed paintwork, the materials they use, the CAD mold creation, is it something special PNSO does or perhaps external issues outside their control driving up these costs?    I have a theory that the prices are at least in part driven up by all these new molds they seem to cut year round.  It almost seems like they're producing more new figures than everyone else combined.  Is it possible that they have a large group of researchers and artists involved in making the figures?  I don't know that to be true but it sure seems like it.  Otherwise those guys must be working themselves to the bone at the rate they're turning out figures.

I can't speak to what PNSO does specifically because I don't know their process, but generally the more precision and detail that goes into the figure requires more expensive molds, more costly paint apps, etc. Even though PNSO gets some flack for favoring muddy browns, there are still a lot of separate applications and they're all applied very precisely, which adds to costs.

They've also always had very sturdy packaging with full color graphics and full color booklets. Looking at figures like Lambeosaurus or Pachyrhinosaurus, I can't see how they applied a $22.99 price point to those and made any money. In my opinion their base price point always should have been higher.

Additionally, I imagine they have smaller production runs relatively, this can also increase costs per piece, and means they have to have a higher per figure price point to recoup costs. That, and the large amount of figures they release in a short amount of time also requires a significant upfront investment.

Also, across the board, raw material costs have risen recently, higher than expected. That cost either gets absorbed or passed along, and PNSO may not have had the buffer in place to absorb it.

Thank you for bringing attention to this and to similar things for other companies, Shane. This perspective is really important to keep in mind when taking costs into consideration, even on other companies like Safari and the like.

There really is so much we simply don't know about the entire PNSO production to make a fair judgment.

And why are people so harshly critical of the museum line? It's a Niche market, targeting a very different type of collectors that may want something different.
For people to dismiss and trash the additions of the artworks included in museum line models as "fluff " or just and excuse to raise price really is missing the whole point.

There are people that actually like those additions believe it or not. The artwork are beautiful, and there are collectors who want and appreciate them. They are beautiful pieces of art- if you can't appreciate that, that's all fine but no need to trash the concept just because you don't like it.

The museum line again is a niche market, just another part of PNSO variety of levels they offer, it's not for everyone.


As for the lower price of the first few PNSO models, those under $25? You know, the pandemic happened and really created a chaotic and difficult situation.
Has anyone ever thought about the possibility that PNSO may have continued with a lower priced point if the pandemic never happened? We will never know.
And these items are all still sold at that price and not increased.

PNSO or any other companies don't "owe" us any explanation at all for their business decisions. Expecting such is just being entitled 🤷🏻‍♂️.
No one is complaining about the other high end pvc models brands price  out there that are also increased in price and often beyond your typical price range .

In the end, we make our choice as what to spend our money at.

[Flaffy]

Do you think the price for these museum figures could've shaved off $5 if they just had the packaging and presentation of the regular line? Coming down from a whopping $60 price tag to $55? I'm not implying they should be cheap figures, but the shipping, material & ink costs alone for all this fluff surely adds up to at least a couple of dollars.

i.e.
- no base
- no booklets
- only a single poster insert
- thinner cardboard box
- plastic protector casing instead of foam

[Shane]

Do you think the price for these museum figures could've shaved off $5 if they just had the packaging and presentation of the regular line? Coming down from a whopping $60 price tag to $55? I'm not implying they should be cheap figures, but the shipping, material & ink costs alone for all this fluff surely adds up to at least a couple of dollars.

i.e.
- no base
- no booklets
- only a single poster insert
- thinner cardboard box
- plastic protector casing instead of foam

I think $5 might be a lot, but they could definitely reduce the price if they omitted those aspects.

However, the Museum Line is not intended to be "bare bones" as others have mentioned. It's intended to be an upscale line, so shaving off extra things to save a few bucks is not necessarily the goal there.